- Summer is the time for free, open-air Shakespeare. The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is best known for its annual production on Boston Common, which this season is the comedy “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” July 6-28. www.commshakes.org

- The Plimoth Players, an all-male professional troupe in residence at Plimoth Plantation during the summer, will perform “Much Ado About Nothing” and “As You Like It,” starting Aug. 7. The men play multiple roles, including the female ones, just as actors did during Shakespeare’s time. www.plimoth.org

SHADES OF FUN

A musical comedy loosely based on the best-selling naughty novel, “SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody,” lands at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset July 25 and the Cape Cod Melody Tent July 26. www.themusiccircus.org

ON THE BOARDS

- Expect frank discussions about sex and lots of cocktails in Gina Gionfriddo’s comedic exploration of female (un)fulfillment in “Rapture, Blister, Burn,” May 24 to June 22 at the Calderwood Pavilion, Boston. www.huntingtontheater.org

- In “How We Got On,” three suburban teens try to make sense of their lives in the late 80s. Expect lots of Salt-n-Peppa, NWA, Air Jordans and Yo! MTV Raps. The show runs from July 19 to August 17.

- “Wicked” tells a tale of life in Oz before Dorothy dropped in. It runs from Aug. 7 to Sept. 15 at the Boston Opera House. www.broadwayinboston.com

- Monty Python makes its South Shore debut at the Company Theater in Norwell. “Spamalot,” a stage adaptation of the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” runs July 26 to Aug. 18. www.thecompanytheatre.com

- Three WWII sailors on leave find love and adventure in New York City in the Leonard Bernstein musical “On the Town” from June 12 to July 13 at Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield. www.barringtonstageco.org

HERE COME THE BLOCKBUSTERS

“After Earth”: Will Smith and real-life son Jaden play a dad and his boy stranded on Earth 1,000 years after humans fled the planet. (May 31).

“Man of Steel”: It’s a fresh start for the kid from Krypton, with Henry Cavill as the boy who falls to Earth and becomes its protector as Superman. (June 14)

Page 2 of 5 - “Monsters University”: The prequel to “Monsters, Inc.” chronicles the college days of the lovable beasties voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman. (June 21)

“World War Z”: Brad Pitt’s a United Nations guy racing to stop a zombie outbreak that could wipe out humanity. (June 21)

“The Lone Ranger”: Johnny Depp is spirit warrior Tonto to Armie Hammer’s masked lawman as they hit the trail in the Old West. (July 3)

“The Way, Way Back”: Steve Carell stars in this coming-of-age story in which a fatherless boy (Liam James) learns life lessons from a wacky stranger (Sam Rockwell) while on summer vacation with his mother (Toni Collette) and her officious boyfriend (Carell). Scenes were shot in Carver, Marshfield, Pembroke and Duxbury. (July 5)

SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

- Norwell’s blues rocker Susan Tedeschi is in for one hot summer. Tedeschi, who is co-founder with her husband, guitar-ace Derek Trucks, of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, will be headlining a tour with The Black Crowes. They land in front of the hometown crowd at the Bank of America Pavilion July 30. www.livenation.com

- The Rolling Stones bring their “50 and Counting” tour to the TD Garden June 12 and 14. Satisfaction promises to abound. www.tdgarden.com

- Back in the early 1980s you couldn’t turn on MTV without seeing a Huey Lewis and the News video. That was a time when peppy pop music dominated the airwaves and when music videos actually played 24-7 on the music channel. The 1983 album “Sports” has sold more than 10 million copies and Huey Lewis & The News are marking the 30th anniversary of that album with a tour. Catch them Aug. 30 at the Cape Cod Melody Tent. www.melodytent.org

- If you’ve ever all-out sang “That’s What Makes You Beautiful” while driving alone in your car, then you might want to check out boy-band du jour One Direction June 26 at the Comcast Center in Mansfield. www.livenation.com

- Classic, country and cool hip-hop beats are on deck for this summer’s concerts at Fenway Park. Paul McCartney bats lead off July 9, followed by a pair of Jason Aldean shows July 12-13. Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z make a powerful one-two punch Aug. 10-11. www.ticketmaster.com

FESTIVALS

- Hoping to become the newest cultural fixture, the Boston Calling Music Festival will bring 18 top indie performers and bands to City Hall Plaza on May 25 and 26. Nationally known acts like The Shins, Of Monsters and Men and Bad Rabbits will be playing on two stages within easy reach of two beer gardens and food carts for visitors 21 and over. For info, visit www.bostoncalling.org.

- It may receive competition from another new festival – Outside The Box, a citywide free outdoor arts festival from July 13-20. The program will include a wide range of dance, theater, and music performances throughout the city for youth and adults. For information, go to www.outsidetheboxboston.org.

- The 32nd Boston Harborfest 2013 showcases the city’s past as the cradle of the American Revolution over six days July 2-7. It offers more than 200 events concentrated around Boston’s historic downtown and waterfront with special attractions in City Hall Plaza. With Opening Ceremonies scheduled for July 2 at Faneuil Hall, visitors can enjoy concerts, tours, reenactments and the popular Chowderfest on July 7. Visit www.Bostonharborfest.com.

- This year’s 17th annual Green Harbor Roots & Blues Festival, Aug. 18, is headlined by New England’s legendary “little big band” Roomful of Blues, but the semifinal act is the very dynamic Brooklyn band Gashouse Gorillas. Regional performers also on the bill include Quincy's longtime rockin’ blues favorites The Fat City Band, along with Soul Box and Hard Case, and the excellent Rampage Trio playing the side stage. www.rhythmroomrecords.com

- The North River Blues Festival, in its 18th year, is Aug. 24-25. The Aug. 24 headliner is the galvanizing quintet known as Mississippi Heat, with other acts including up and coming songstress Eden Brent, and regional stars like Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, Gracie Curran’s High Falutin’ Band, and Mr. Nick’s Dirty Tricks, with the Tim Gartland Band playing during breaks. The Aug. 25 lineup is topped by a band making all sorts of waves nationally, The Royal Southern Brotherhood, with the veteran national stars Smokin’ Joe Kubek and B’Nois King as co-featured act, along with area faves like Diane Blue, Willie J. Laws Band with Quincy’s Johnny ‘Bluehorn’ Moriconi, and Mission of Blues. Quincy guitar ace Sam Gentile and his Basic Black perform on the side stage during that Sunday show. www.rhythmroomrecords.com

Page 4 of 5 - LA DOLCE VITA

Every weekend in August in the North End, there’s a feast (think: big street party) honoring a saint. Expect lots of food, merriment, drink, vendors, music, and more food. Mangia, mangia! Go to northendboston.com for the lineup.

ON VIEW

- Calling all paisley prints and bell-bottomed pants . . . . The Hippie Chick fashion exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will transport you back to the late 60s and early 70s. The grooviness gets underway July 16.

- The stirring images shot by a dozen women photographers from Iran and the Arab World will be displayed at the MFA. The exhibit, “She Who Tells a Story,” opens Aug. 27.

CLASS ACTS

- Tchaikovsky bats lead off on July 5 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra at their summer quarters in Tanglewood. Bernard Haitink conducts Beethoven’s Ninth to close out the season. In between, highlights include: Danny Newman leading the orchestra in the score for West Side Story, with film accompaniment; a film night with John Williams and Audra McDonald; a performance of John Harbison’s Great Gatsby; Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos leads Mahler’s Symphony No. 3; Andris Nelsons takes on Verdi’s Requiem; Vladimir Jurowski makes his Tanglewood debut. Go to bso.org for a full schedule.

- Keith Lockhart leads his Boston Pops in five gigs at Tanglewood and the annual July 4 free performance at the Esplanade. Some big-time performers are also joining Lockhart’s crew at Symphony Hall: “Glee’s” Matthew Morrison (May 28-29); “Smash’s” Megan Hilty (May 23-24); Broadway star Donna McKechnie (May 14-15). Also on tap are a “Mad Men” evening, a tribute to Pixar films, and iconic movie scores by John Williams.

LIGHTEN UP

Stroll along the Providence riverfront and watch 100 bonfires light up the water at WaterFire, running mostly mostly Saturdays, from May 25 through October, To enhance the mood, enchanting music is played through 60 speakers hidden around the city’s river walk. While the river is ablaze, jazz concerts and dance presentations take place a short walk away. www.waterfire.org

- The Brockton Fair is one of the oldest in the country and returns for its 139th year June 27-July 7.

- The South Shore’s version of the Hatch Shell, the Jane Carr Amphitheater hosts Hingham native and conductor Nicholas Palmer leading the Evening Under the Stars Orchestra on July 6 at South Shore Conservatory, One Conservatory Drive, Hingham. Tickets are $35 for the pavilion and $25 for lawn seats. www.sscmusic.org

Page 5 of 5 - - The conservatory’s Opera By the Bay performs a concert version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” on July 27.

Dana Barbuto, Jody Feinberg, Al Alexander, Chris Bergeron and Jay N. Miller contributed to this report. Material from the Associated Press was also used in this report.